What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 20, 2026, about 9:32 pacific daylight time, a Schweizer Aircraft Corp., G-164B, privacy data omitted, was destroyed when it struck a communication tower near orlene, Oregon. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a part 137 agricultural application flight. The operator reported that the airplane departed crater lake/klamath regional airport (lmt), klamath falls, Oregon, to conduct a mosquito abatement dispersal operation. Before departure, about 1,800 pounds of mosquito control material were loaded onto the airplane, and the fuel tanks were filled to capacity. A witness located near the accident site observed the airplane operating approximately 4 miles east-northeast of lmt. Shortly thereafter, the witness heard a loud bang and observed a plume of black smoke rising from the area. The witness responded to the accident site and assisted the pilot in evacuating the burning aircraft. Based on inspection of the wreckage and tower it appears the aircraft struck the tower or stabilizing wires while heading east and crashed approximately 300 feet beyond the tower in a nearby field. The wreckage was subsequently recovered and transported to a secure facility for further examination. Another pilot employed by the operator returned to complete aerial application in the same area of the accident and reports the reamining communication towers adjacent to the tower struck during the event are difficult to see due to glare caused by morning sunlight.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 20, 2026, ABOUT 9:32 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A SCHWEIZER AIRCRAFT CORP., G-164B, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT STRUCK A COMMUNICATION TOWER NEAR ORLENE, OREGON. THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A PART 137 AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. THE OPERATOR REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED CRATER LAKE/KLAMATH REGIONAL AIRPORT (LMT), KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON, TO CONDUCT A MOSQUITO ABATEMENT DISPERSAL OPERATION. BEFORE DEPARTURE, ABOUT 1,800 POUNDS OF MOSQUITO CONTROL MATERIAL WERE LOADED ONTO THE AIRPLANE, AND THE FUEL TANKS WERE FILLED TO CAPACITY. A WITNESS LOCATED NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE OPERATING APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF LMT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE WITNESS HEARD A LOUD BANG AND OBSERVED A PLUME OF BLACK SMOKE RISING FROM THE AREA. THE WITNESS RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE AND ASSISTED THE PILOT IN EVACUATING THE BURNING AIRCRAFT. BASED ON INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE AND TOWER IT APPEARS THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TOWER OR STABILIZING WIRES WHILE HEADING EAST AND CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET BEYOND THE TOWER IN A NEARBY FIELD. THE WRECKAGE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RECOVERED AND TRANSPORTED TO A SECURE FACILITY FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. ANOTHER PILOT EMPLOYED BY THE OPERATOR RETURNED TO COMPLETE AERIAL APPLICATION IN THE SAME AREA OF THE ACCIDENT AND REPORTS THE REAMINING COMMUNICATION TOWERS ADJACENT TO THE TOWER STRUCK DURING THE EVENT ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE DUE TO GLARE CAUSED BY MORNING SUNLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7501Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.